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So we extended our lease 30 days and it was a huge pain in the a*& with our LLs (as with everything else with them this year). We agreed to have the house shown with 24 hours notice as part of our extension. We were told to furnish the realtor with the key and that a lockbox would be placed on the door. When we moved in, we were only given one key so I wasn't feeling too happy about having to give them a key (in the scheme of things--it's NBD but..). The realtor has not asked us for a key and no lockbox is on the door. So far, (according to them) the house has been listed for almost 30 days. On Thursday my husband received an email that they had a client who wanted to view the house that day. Well, I wanted 24 hours and agreed via email that the next day would be fine. No call from the realtor, just a confirmation email the next morning that he will be there. That morning, I clean the house and hustle my four small children out of the house before the 11AM showing. I return to the house 40 minutes later and there is a car parked in the middle of the driveway. I call my husband and ask his opinion as to what I should do. My husband says that he just talked to the realtor (who is our former realtor and is now representing LL) and that his wife(also a realtor) is there taking pictures of the interior of the house and that we're not in any kind of trouble. What does that mean?? She exited the house 10 minutes later, did not acknowledge me in the car waiting at the curb and drove off. What is up with this??? Is this a normal thing that realtors and LLs do to renters?
I can't tell which part has upset you?
The e.mail confirmation? Why would that be a problem?
That it was your original realtor's wife (also a realtor) who was in the home? Why would that be a problem as long as she is licensed?
That they weren't finished quickly enough for you?
Or that she didn't wave at you while she left?
I don't see much of an issue with ANY of these things, which is why I can't tell what you are complaining about.
Perhaps she didn't know it was you sitting at the curb waiting? If she knows you and saw you, but didn't acknowledge you, then that's definitely odd. But maybe she was concentrating on driving and didn't see you there? Maybe she thought it was just a parked car and didn't know that there was someone in it?
It sounds like you are very over sensitive, but maybe I have missed the part that is meant to be something wrong that realtors and LLs do to tenants?
It seems inconsiderate for sure. Our PM for our last rental was very inconsiderate too. So were the owners.
I think they deserve the nasty surprise coming to them the mold on the walls I found when the furniture was moved, I bleached it because otherwise they'd charge me. Kinda like them trying to claim the aspen tree in the back is diseased because we smoke.
My dh is doing the final walk-thru with her today (though she's called to reschedule now 3x). Horrible condescending woman. We tried so hard to work with these people. The house was a mess when we moved in. The girl who worked for the PM when we moved in, no longer does and now they are arguing the "filthy" and "dirty" comments on the move-in list. My dh will be taking a video throughout the walk-thru. I can't wait to see the PMs face when she sees the pile of "owner's stuff" in the garage. It was spread throughout the garage, house and yard when we moved in and my dh built an attic space in the garage to store it. As it all went up little by little, even we were surprised by how much it is. If it was all laid out on the ground (some of it's on the beautiful shelves my dh and fil built), it would take at least 3/4 of the floor space of the 2 car garage.
After the owner and PM came through last May and we asked them to remove some of their stuff, the response was that it was all neccessary to the home maintenance and we HAVE to store it (when we moved in, we were told to store it until they could come see and remember what it was). I really hope this ends up going to court in some ways. I'd like to see them explain how
a broken wooden ladder
box full of sprinkler heads from the old system
rotted out 2x4s
rusted out metal shelves
2 rickety short pressboard bookshelves from the 80s
tons of chicken wire
a bunch of scrap pieces of lattice (that doesn't match whats on the house now)
a couple glass storm doors (don't match anything on the house)
31 rusty/dirty curtain rods
49 cans of paint (only 2 don't have rusted tops)
4 boxes of tile that doesn't match anything
2 partial rolls of linoleum that don't match anything
rusted out garden tools (rakes, shovel, weedwhacker that never worked, garden hand tools)
a lawnmower that doesn't work
... the list goes on. That's just the stuff I remember. And it doesn't include the ripped open and rotting bags of sand under the back porch or at the side of the house.
I can't tell which part has upset you?
The e.mail confirmation? Why would that be a problem?
That it was your original realtor's wife (also a realtor) who was in the home? Why would that be a problem as long as she is licensed?
That they weren't finished quickly enough for you?
Or that she didn't wave at you while she left?
I don't see much of an issue with ANY of these things, which is why I can't tell what you are complaining about.
Perhaps she didn't know it was you sitting at the curb waiting? If she knows you and saw you, but didn't acknowledge you, then that's definitely odd. But maybe she was concentrating on driving and didn't see you there? Maybe she thought it was just a parked car and didn't know that there was someone in it?
It sounds like you are very over sensitive, but maybe I have missed the part that is meant to be something wrong that realtors and LLs do to tenants?
Most of my questions revolve around the following:
1. Communication has been an issue from the beginning with the LL and realtor so I am definitely sensitive to this. Unfortunately, I didn't want to re-hash everything but we have had problems with them from the beginning. The Realtor is actually our realtor who decided to represent both of us, which my husband and I felt was a conflict of interest and declined their offer. They said they were going to have another agent in their office assist us in finding another rental and then when I called to set up an appointment, they said they would call me back later that day to set up the appointment and did not return the call and then did not return my further call. That was hint to me that they weren't interested in continuing a relationship with us.
2. I didn't have an issue that it was the wife. I had an issue that she was in the house for over 40 minutes alone. What could she possibly need to do in our house alone for 40 minutes?
3. The comment that "he" (he told my husband that he was coming over personally) wanted to walk through the house and take pictures and we weren't "in trouble" was also confusing. Why would anyone make that comment to us?
My question revolved around whether or not it is normal for a realtor to tell us there is a showing when there isn't and take 40 minutes to walk through a house and take pictures (with our belongings in it) (and there are pictures of the interior of the house before we moved in on the MLS) and that we're not "in trouble". The direct "cut" to me in the driveway was no surprise by these people. I think they are a bit ashamed of their own behavior towards us. We are happy to be getting out of this rental situation. But after being treated badly for one year, I am done being accommodating. It was polite for me to leave the house with my children for the "prospective" tenant but (according to the tenant laws) I don't have to leave and after having them take pictures of my stuff, I don't know if I feel comfortable leaving now. Maybe you're right and I am being oversensitive. But (I wrote about this on another thread) after being threatened to keep our $9800 deposit by the LL because we wouldn't renew the lease at their 10% increase, it makes me paranoid that the realtor was in there trying to get us in trouble and screw us out of our deposit. Every time something has happened with this house, we have been threatened, yelled out and told that we are trying to screw with the LL. It's been fun and that is why I am overly-sensitive.
Most of my questions revolve around the following:
1. Communication has been an issue from the beginning with the LL and realtor so I am definitely sensitive to this. Unfortunately, I didn't want to re-hash everything but we have had problems with them from the beginning. The Realtor is actually our realtor who decided to represent both of us, which my husband and I felt was a conflict of interest and declined their offer. They said they were going to have another agent in their office assist us in finding another rental and then when I called to set up an appointment, they said they would call me back later that day to set up the appointment and did not return the call and then did not return my further call. That was hint to me that they weren't interested in continuing a relationship with us.
2. I didn't have an issue that it was the wife. I had an issue that she was in the house for over 40 minutes alone. What could she possibly need to do in our house alone for 40 minutes?
3. The comment that "he" (he told my husband that he was coming over personally) wanted to walk through the house and take pictures and we weren't "in trouble" was also confusing. Why would anyone make that comment to us?
My question revolved around whether or not it is normal for a realtor to tell us there is a showing when there isn't and take 40 minutes to walk through a house and take pictures (with our belongings in it) (and there are pictures of the interior of the house before we moved in on the MLS) and that we're not "in trouble". The direct "cut" to me in the driveway was no surprise by these people. I think they are a bit ashamed of their own behavior towards us. We are happy to be getting out of this rental situation. But after being treated badly for one year, I am done being accommodating. It was polite for me to leave the house with my children for the "prospective" tenant but (according to the tenant laws) I don't have to leave and after having them take pictures of my stuff, I don't know if I feel comfortable leaving now. Maybe you're right and I am being oversensitive. But (I wrote about this on another thread) after being threatened to keep our $9800 deposit by the LL because we wouldn't renew the lease at their 10% increase, it makes me paranoid that the realtor was in there trying to get us in trouble and screw us out of our deposit. Every time something has happened with this house, we have been threatened, yelled out and told that we are trying to screw with the LL. It's been fun and that is why I am overly-sensitive.
1: You think it's a conflict of interest for your realtor to rent out your landlords property and find you a new one. WHY?? I am not surprised they didn't return your call - you sound like you could be a tricky person to work with.
E.mail is correspondance. A lot of people prefer to correspond via e.mail. The fact that you prefer a call isn't the agent's fault. Why not tell them that you prefer to be called. You received notice. That is what they have to do, and they did.
2: It takes time to take good pictures. 40 minutes is not long at all. But if you want to use your energy to be upset about something like that, then ok I guess?
Also much better to take pics of how the house looks now (and will look during showings). Perhaps the previous tenant had better furniture than you? Then when looking at the house it would be a let down. Perhaps you have better furniture than the previous tenant? Then why use less good pictures? Might as well show it at its best. Again it seems odd to me that you are analysing this so deeply. The realtor now works for the landlord. As the owner of the home, they expect new, good pictures to be used of their home. Not out of date ones. They are only doing their job. Why do you have such a problem with this?
3:It sounds like you can be nit picky. You are upset that he didn't come through the house himself, but rather sent another licensed realtor. Big deal. Why do you care? You are not their client now - you rejected their services because it would be a conflict of interest of all things. The realtor now works for the landlord, and who he sends to take pictures is between them, as long as it is a licensed person.
It sounds like you have had trouble with the landlord. Whos fault that is is tough to tell - we're only getting half the story, and you really sound like you can over react to things easily.
You are now going to make renting out the property a lot more difficult by staying there for every showing as a power trip and because you can. If that makes you feel good about your behaviour then fine.
I have been both a tenant and a landlord. One of the places we rented short term was for sale - we staged it beautifully and cleaned and went out before buyers came in. Why wouldn't we do that? I would if it were my own home and why would I treat someone elses place with less respect than we treat our own?
I don't understand your attitude, but perhaps you have been abused by your landlord and getting back at him feels good to you. That's fine. A shame. But fine.
Don't know why you are lumping the realtor in with the landlord though. They have no control over what the landlord does. They are just trying to do their job, and having to deal with people who are this sensitive can't be easy for them either.
I think you need to take a step back, a deep breath and calm down a little. At least where the agents are concerned.
You have rights, for sure...but you didn't exercise any of them...and it's not the LL fault, you fell for it.
You are under no obligation to enter into a new contract {change terms} if you extend for 1 month. If you did...again, that's you.
You are under no obligation to supply a key.
You are under no obligation to clean the house.
You are under no obligation to allow someone to take photos inside your home.
You are under no obligation to vacate your home, even for a time, to show it to someone.
This may be true - but again, what kind of people are you? Would you want someone else to treat your property this way? What happened to treating others as you would be treated yourselves.
Morally we all have obligations which may or may not be the law. This is someone's house. You have lived there. Do the right thing.
This may be true - but again, what kind of people are you? Would you want someone else to treat your property this way? What happened to treating others as you would be treated yourselves.
Morally we all have obligations which may or may not be the law. This is someone's house. You have lived there. Do the right thing.
I agree with you actually. We have been moral and understanding. When we moved in, we were given the LL's cell phone number and their son's cell phone number if there were any issues (son lives local). The wife, who we've dealt with, seemed very nice and agreeable. She commented on how cute and well-behaved my children were. We were called three weeks into the rental and told by LL that we had "stolen" their cable cords and they wanted them back. They were left with the cable box that was picked up, so we put them in the garage in "their" designated storage. I was told that their daughter would pick it up because they are impossible to find (we purchased the same cords at Circuit City the week before). No big deal--but it was really strange to go from being a polite and cute family to thieves. It didn't have to be done with any animosity. They own the home and left stuff in it. We understood (they left dishes, etc. in the cabinets and we just put them in their storage closet in the garage). When we moved in, we asked for the toilets to be fixed because they made loud noises. After two months, this was addressed with no problems. Five months into our rental, I noticed water leaking through the living room ceiling when I returned home one evening. I immediately went upstairs, saw water in the bathroom and shut the water off to the toilet. I left a message with the LL and LL's son. LL called back and told me that my children had left the water running in the bathtub and this was our responsibility to fix. This did not happen--we weren't even home--children at school. We explained that a plumber needed to be called and she told us that she would get to it. After three calls placed to her (ceiling is now falling in the living room, buckets placed everywhere, furniture wet in downstairs and children's bedroom) a plumber came out and immediately handled the situation. She did not believe that this wasn't our fault and told him (loud enough that I could hear over the phone) that I was a b*&$h trying to "get" her. This is not the case at all. I am a SAHM mom with four small children--and I didn't know that I should have originally shut the water off to the house--now I know and I just moved to the area and don't know any plumbing companies. Per my lease, I immediately called my LL for assistance and she did not believe me. As tenants, we were inconvenienced (and in hindsight should have broken the lease) for two months with holes in the ceiling and walls and our children displaced from their bedroom. And during this time, she went through three plumbers and two restoration companies because she is not an agreeable person and felt that everyone was trying to manipulate and rip her off. Also during this time, the exact same thing happened in another bathroom and had to be fixed also. All plumbers explained that the home is 38 years old and these are maintenance issues and not installed correctly the last time it was updated. Last month, the microwave stopped working. We called LL and she did not take it well. Again, she told service company (loud enough for us to hear) that we broke the microwave on purpose to get a new one out of her. The service tech told her that these things happen and it would cost less to replace it than fix it. We were not told if it was being fixed or replaced and then received a message on our voice mail that she had purchased a new microwave and it was my responsibility to have it picked up and they were installing it the next morning. I have been so happy for our lease to be up. I diligently looked for another rental. My husband and I owned two homes in FL (until May when they sold) and were fastidious homeowners. We really cared about this house, enjoyed it and would have loved to buy it (they did have it for sale but their expectations are a little ridiculous--when we offered to purchase it--they were very happy but they raised their price $100K from last summer and the house needs at least $200K worth of updating--no lie--this was from the realtor). When we extended the lease for 30 days, we sent a copy of the letter to their son for his perusal (he is an attorney) in case there were any issues. They copied us on an email to the realtor saying that we ("these annoying people") were harassing their son (this was our second contact with the son--besides his calling us to pick up his parent's mail from our house on four separate occasions because they did not change their mailing address officially until December). The LLs raised the rent $500 and told us it was because we had flooded their home and we had to pay the difference in their homeowners policy. For us, this was not an affordable increase and exercised our rights (in writing) to not renew. Yesterday we received an email from the realtor telling us the house had been rented (amazing because the only person who has looked at the house is the realtor's wife) and that they want us to move out as soon as possible. My husband responded with congratulations and that we would move out when our lease was up. Their response was that we are very difficult people. Is that a normal response to a tenant?
You've termed me as "nit picky," "difficult" and someone who "overreacts". I would tend to agree with the overreacting part but I've never been this way until this situation. My husband and I are actually very easy going and were so excited to move to CA and have our first rental experience. There are two sides to every story and you are only getting the tenants side. It is interesting that the realtor told us (recently) that we should avoid the LLs because they blow very hot and cold and you never know when they'll blow up. My husband and I justified their behavior by saying that they are an older couple (late 70s) and this is their first time being LLs. They lived in the house for almost forty years and were disappointed it didn't sell. We paid them close to $60K this year and we felt that we shouldn't have been treated like dirt.
It's very sad and I'm sorry that you got a bad impression of me. Since this is my first experience with renting, I am just trying to figure out what my reasonable rights are in a situation. If I'm overreacting, then I need to know that also.
And just for justification, these were not MLS photos. There are already MLS photos on the web. These were personal photos (I'm now assuming were taken for the prospective tenant). It just would have been nice to know what was going on -- that's all.
It's very sad and I'm sorry that you got a bad impression of me. Since this is my first experience with renting, I am just trying to figure out what my reasonable rights are in a situation. If I'm overreacting, then I need to know that also.
And just for justification, these were not MLS photos. There are already MLS photos on the web. These were personal photos (I'm now assuming were taken for the prospective tenant). It just would have been nice to know what was going on -- that's all.
Thanks--and sorry for the long post.
Ugh, it does sound like your landlords have been awful, which makes any overreacting on your part very much more understandable!!
You're probably put off renting for life! Lol.
I know it's tough, but try not to lump in the realtors with the difficult owners though, or you'll really end up feeling like everyone is out to get you, when that (probably, lol) isn't the case.
Sorry you've had a tough time of it, take a deep breath and know it will all soon be in the past. Good luck.
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